St. John of the Cross: Selected Poems

of the Cross, St. John

Religion & Spirituality

Self

Dark Night of the Soul Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). All Christians experience dark nights-times when everything seems to be "going wrong with them." Some wallow in despair, others learn in darkness. St. John of the Cross explains the four benefits of the dark night: <ul>
<li>1. Delight of peace.</li> <li>2. Habitual remembrance and thought of God.</li> <li>3. Cleanness and purity of soul.</li> <li>4. Practice of the virtues.</li> </ul>
"God now sees that they have grown a little, and are becoming strong enough to lay aside their swaddling clothes and be taken from the gentle breast; so He sets them down from His arms and teaches them to walk on their own feet; which they feel to be very strange, for everything seems to be going wrong with them." St. John of the Cross was a 16th century Spanish monk and mystic. The depth of his passion for Christ is evident throughout his writings-crafted from a keen mind and devoted spirit. Overcoming the dark night begins with climbing the 10 steps of the secret Divine "ladder of love by which the soul mounts." Ascending the ladder causes your soul to: <ul>
<li>Step 1 -languish to its advantage.</li> <li>Step 2 -seek God without ceasing.</li> <li>Step 3 -work and give it fervor.</li> <li>Step 4 -a habitual suffering because of the Beloved, yet without weariness.</li> <li>Step 5 -desire and long for God impatiently.</li> <li>Step 6 -run swiftly and touch Him again and again, without fainting by reason of its hope.</li> <li>Step 7 -become vehement in its boldness.</li> <li>Step 8 -seize Him and hold Him fast without letting Him go.</li> <li>Step 9 -burn with sweetness.</li> <li>Step 10 -become wholly assimilated to God, by reason of the clear and immediate vision of God which it then possesses.</li> </ul>
If you are experiencing a dark night or know someone who is, allow the wisdom of the Scriptures and the insight of St. John of the Cross to bring hope and love into your heart and soul.

Dark Night of the Soul

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

Destiny Image Publishers

The fourth centenary of the death of St. John of the Cross inspired this revised edition of the English translation of his writings. The result is an edition that preserves the true meaning of the great mystic's writings, presents them as clearly as possible, and at the same time gives the reader the doctrinal and historical information that will lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the teachings of the Mystical Doctor. Included in The Collected Works are St. John's poetry, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love, as well as his letters and other counsels. Unlike most modern editions, this Angelnook Publishing edition has been completely re-processed as opposed to utilizing type-recognition software in order to provide the most complete and comprehensive version of the author’s poems, interpretations, and various other writings. Cover artwork by Paul Spremulli

The Living Flame of Love: by St. John of the Cross with His Letters, Poems, and Minor Writings

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

St. John of the Cross was founder (with St. Teresa) of the Discalced Carmelites, doctor of mystic theology, b. at Hontoveros, Old Castile, 24 June, 1542; d. at Ubeda, Andalusia, 14 Dec., 1591. It has been recorded that during his studies St. John particularly relished psychology; this is amply borne out by his writings. He was not what one would term a scholar, but he was intimately acquainted with the "Summa" of St. Thomas Aquinas, as almost every page of his works proves. Holy Scripture he seems to have known by heart, yet he evidently obtained his knowledge more by meditation than in the lecture room. But there is no vestige of influence on him of the mystical teaching of the Fathers, the Areopagite, Augustine, Gregory, Bernard, Bonaventure, etc., Hugh of St. Victor, or the German Dominican school. The few quotations from patristic works are easily traced to the Breviary or the "Summa". In the absence of any conscious or unconscious influence of earlier mystical schools, his own system, like that of St. Teresa, whose influence is obvious throughout, might be termed empirical mysticism. They both start from their own experience, St. Teresa avowedly so, while St. John, who hardly ever speaks of himself, "invents nothing" (to quote Cardinal Wiseman), "borrows nothing from others, but gives us clearly the results of his own experience in himself and others. He presents you with a portrait, not with a fancy picture. He represents the ideal of one who has passed, as he had done, through the career of the spiritual life, through its struggles and its victories". His axiom is that the soul must empty itself of self in order to be filled with God, that it must be purified of the last traces of earthly dross before it is fit to become united with God. In the application of this simple maxim he shows the most uncompromising logic. Supposing the soul with which he deals to be habitually in the state of grace and pushing forward to better things, he overtakes it on the very road leading it, in its opinion to God, and lays open before its eyes a number of sores of which it was altogether ignorant, viz. what he terms the spiritual capital sins. Not until these are removed (a most formidable task) is it fit to be admitted to what he calls the "Dark Night", which consists in the passive purgation, where God by heavy trials, particularly interior ones, perfects and completes what the soul had begun of its own accord. It is now passive, but not inert, for by submitting to the Divine operation it co-operates in the measure of its power. Here lies one of the essential differences between St. John's mysticism and a false quietism. The perfect purgation of the soul in the present life leaves it free to act with wonderful energy: in fact it might almost be said to obtain a share in God's omnipotence, as is shown in the marvelous deeds of so many saints. As the soul emerges from the Dark Night it enters into the full noonlight described in the "Spiritual Canticle" and the "Living Flame of Love". St. John leads it to the highest heights, in fact to the point where it becomes a "partaker of the Divine Nature". It is here that the necessity of the previous cleansing is clearly perceived the pain of the mortification of all the senses and the powers and faculties of the soul being amply repaid by the glory which is now being revealed in it. St. John has often been represented as a grim character; nothing could be more untrue. He was indeed austere in the extreme with himself, and, to some extent, also with others, but both from his writings and from the depositions of those who knew him, we see in him a man overflowing with charity and kindness, a poetical mind deeply influenced by all that is beautiful and attractive.

St. John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul,& A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and Bridegroom Christ

THE present volume of the works of St. John of the Cross contains the explanation of the 'Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ.' The two earlier works, the, 'Ascent of Mount Carmel' and the 'Dark Night of the Soul' dealt with the cleansing of the soul, the unremittant war against even the smallest imperfections standing in the way of union with God; imperfections which must be removed, partly by strict self-discipline, partly by the direct intervention of God, Who, searching 'the reins and hearts' by means of heavy interior and exterior trials, purges away whatever is displeasing to Him. Although some stanzas refer to this preliminary state, the chief object of the 'Spiritual Canticle' is to picture under the Biblical simile of Espousals and Matrimony the blessedness of a soul that has arrived at union with God. The Canticle was composed during the long imprisonment St. John underwent at Toledo from the beginning of December 1577 till the middle of August of the following year. Being one of the principal supporters of the Reform of St. Teresa, he was also one of the victims of the war waged against her work by the Superiors of the old branch of the Order. St. John's prison was a narrow, stifling cell, with no window, but only a small loophole through which a ray of light entered for a short time of the day, just long enough to enable him to say his office, but affording little facility for reading or writing. However, St. John stood in no need of books. Having for many years meditated on every word of Holy Scripture, the Word of God was deeply written in his heart, supplying abundant food for conversation with God during the whole period of his imprisonment. From time to time he poured forth his soul in poetry; afterwards he communicated his verses to friends. One of these poetical works, the fruit of his imprisonment, was the 'Spiritual Canticle,' which, as the reader will notice, is an abridged paraphrase of the Canticle of Canticles, the Song of Solomon, wherein under the image of passionate love are described the mystical sufferings and longings of a soul enamoured with God.

A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom of Christ

Claiming to be a literary interpretation, this poem of forty stanza’s is loosely based on the Biblical book of Song of Songs. This story follows a bride that has been separated from her bridegroom and her search for him. If it is not obvious enough from the reading of the poem itself and St. John of the Cross’s extensive explanation afterwards, the poem is a literary interpretation of Song of Songs, but also of the soul’s search for Jesus Christ.

A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ

Christian Books & Bibles

Theology

Independently published

This Book Tree edition is the complete version containing all original footnotes and references. It is one of the most important books on spiritual growth ever written. This was clearly penned by a great mystic who experienced this "dark night" first-hand, and it describes the soul's journey one often takes on its path toward discovering God. Many who have found God through a life-changing breakthrough have often experienced this dark night first, and this book offers one a view of what to expect and how to address such a major challenge. This version includes both Book 1 and Book 2, covering the purification of the senses and the purification of the soul, respectively. It was originally written in about 1579, when John of the Cross was jailed for trying to reform his Carmelite Order. This book remains as the most powerful guidebook of its kind up to the present day.

Catholicism

Book Tree

Poems

Cluny Media

The Dark Night of the Soul: Part of The Complete Works of Saint John of the Cross, of the Order of our Lady of Mount Carmel Translated from the Original Spanish

Christian Living

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by of the Cross, St. John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by of the Cross, St. John